NBA Roundup: Rubio Traded To Jazz, Rondo Cut By Bulls

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The NBA offseason might just be the most exciting thing in sports right now with every day offering some big headlines. Friday night was no different with a few Midwest teams making some moves.

The Associated Press reported on Friday night that the Minnesota Timberwolves have reached an agreement with Utah to send point guard Ricky Rubio to the Jazz to clear salary cap space for a big run in free agency, according to two people with direct knowledge of the deal.

The Jazz sent the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2018 first-round draft pick to the Timberwolves in exchange for Rubio, a talented Spaniard who has struggled with injuries at times over his six years in Minnesota. Utah received the pick when it traded Enes Kanter away as part of a three-team deal in 2015.

The two sides agreed to the move hours before free agency opened. They two people spoke on condition of anonymity because neither team had announced the move. The Jazz needed to make the deal before July 1 or would have lost the salary cap room necessary to pull it off.

Also making headlines were the Chicago Bulls who announced on Friday that the team has waived veteran point guard Rajon Rondo. The Bulls bought out Rondo for $3 million Friday rather than exercise a $13.4 million option for next season. He signed a two-year deal to come to Chicago last summer.

The 31-year-old Rondo was in and out of the rotation, chided Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade for criticizing the team’s effort and finished the season on a strong note before missing the final four playoff games against Boston because of a broken right thumb.

The four-time All-Star averaged 7.8 points and 6.7 assists this past season. The Bulls had said Rondo would probably be back, but he became expendable when they acquired Kris Dunn from Minnesota in the Butler trade on draft night.